Combined heating and power modules and devices

Abstract

Various disclosed embodiments include combined heating and power modules and combined heat and power devices. In an illustrative embodiment, a combined heat and power device includes a heating system including: at least one burner; at least one igniter configured to ignite the at least one burner; a fluid motivator assembly including an electrically powered prime mover; and a heat exchanger fluidly couplable to the fluid motivator assembly. At least one thermionic energy converter has a hot shell and a cold shell, the hot shell being thermally couplable to the at least one burner, the cold shell being thermally couplable to the heat exchanger.

1 .- 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . A combined heat and power device comprising:
 a heating system including:   at least one burner;   at least one igniter configured to ignite the at least one burner;   a fluid motivator assembly including an electrically powered prime mover; and   a heat exchanger fluidly couplable to the fluid motivator assembly; and   at least one thermionic energy converter having a hot shell and a cold shell, the hot shell being thermally couplable to the at least one burner, the cold shell being thermally couplable to the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         55 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the combined heat and power device includes a heating appliance chosen from a furnace, a boiler, and a water heater. 
     
     
         56 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one burner includes a burner chosen from a nozzle burner and a venturi burner. 
     
     
         57 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 56 , wherein:
 the burner includes a first-pass tube and a second pass tube interconnected by an elbow; and   the thermionic energy converter is disposed in the elbow.   
     
     
         58 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one burner includes a single-ended recuperative burner. 
     
     
         59 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one burner includes a porous burner. 
     
     
         60 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one burner includes no more than one burner. 
     
     
         61 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one burner includes a plurality of burners. 
     
     
         62 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one burner is configured to combust using an enrichment agent chosen from oxygen-enriched air and hydrogen-enriched combustion. 
     
     
         63 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein exhaust gas from the at least one burner is directable over surfaces of the at least one thermionic energy converter more than one time. 
     
     
         64 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 63 , wherein the at least one burner is arranged such that exhaust gas from the at least one burner is directable over surfaces of the at least one thermionic energy converter more than one time. 
     
     
         65 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 63 , further comprising:
 a swirler configured to direct exhaust gas from the at least one burner over surfaces of the at least one thermionic energy converter more than one time.   
     
     
         66 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one burner is configured for substantially stoichiometric combustion. 
     
     
         67 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein at least a portion of a component chosen from the hot shell and a component thermally coupled to the hot shell is located in an exhaust stream from the at least one burner. 
     
     
         68 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one thermionic energy converter includes:
 a vacuum envelope; and   a cesium reservoir.   
     
     
         69 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one thermionic energy converter has an electrical power output capacity of no more than 50 KWe. 
     
     
         70 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 69 , wherein the at least one thermionic energy converter has an electrical power output capacity of no more than 5 KWe. 
     
     
         71 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the hot shell is coated with a material configured to increase thermal emissivity. 
     
     
         72 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 71 , wherein the material includes a material chosen from at least one of silicon carbide, carbon, an inorganic ceramic, a silicon ceramic, a ceramic metal composite, a carbon glass composite, a carbon ceramic composite, zirconium diboride, and aluminum oxide with addition of magnesium oxide. 
     
     
         73 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the hot shell tapers from a first thickness at one end thereof toward a second thickness at a second end thereof, the second thickness being less thick than the first thickness. 
     
     
         74 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the hot shell includes an electrically conductive tile arranged to face toward heat from the at least one burner. 
     
     
         75 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein at least one shell chosen from the hot shell and the cold shell includes a plurality of fins. 
     
     
         76 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein at least one shell chosen from the hot shell and the cold shell is made from a material chosen from silicon carbide, an iron-chromium-aluminium alloy, a superalloy, a MAX-phase alloy, alumina, and zirconium diboride. 
     
     
         77 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the cold shell includes at least one thermal transfer enhancement feature chosen from a plurality of divots defined in the cold shell, a plurality of formed shapes, and a thermal grease disposed on the cold shell. 
     
     
         78 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the cold shell and the heat exchanger physically contact each other. 
     
     
         79 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the cold shell and the heat exchanger are spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         80 . The combined heating and power device of  claim 79 , further comprising:
 at least one thermal coupler chosen from thermal interface material disposed in thermal contact with the cold shell and the heat exchanger and a heat pipe disposed in thermal contact with the cold shell and the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         81 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 54 , wherein:
 the heat exchanger includes a first tube bank and a second tube bank; and   the at least one thermionic energy converter is disposed intermediate the first tube bank and the second tube bank.   
     
     
         82 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 81 , wherein the tubes of the first tube bank include at least one feature configured to reduce re-radiation from the at least one thermionic energy converter, the at least one feature including a feature chosen from a re-radiation shield and thermal insulation disposed on a portion of an exterior surface of the tubes of the first tube bank that is proximate the at least one thermionic energy converter. 
     
     
         83 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 81 , wherein the at least one thermionic energy converter includes at least one feature configured to increase heat transfer to the thermionic energy converter, the at least one feature including a feature chosen from a plurality of fins and a surface texture. 
     
     
         84 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 54 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to control at least one component chosen from the at least one burner, the at least one thermionic energy converter, and the prime mover.   
     
     
         85 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 84 , further comprising:
 at least one temperature sensor; and   at least one electricity sensor.   
     
     
         86 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 85 , further comprising:
 a transceiver configured to transmit and receive data regarding the at least one temperature sensor and the at least one electricity sensor.   
     
     
         87 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 84 , wherein the controller is further configured to modulate electricity output from the at least one thermionic energy converter. 
     
     
         88 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 84 , wherein the controller is further configured to modulate electricity output from the at least one thermionic energy converter based upon an attribute chosen from a number of burners and a number of thermionic energy converters. 
     
     
         89 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 84 , wherein:
 the at least one burner includes a plurality of burners and the at least one thermionic energy converter includes a plurality of thermionic energy converters; and   the controller is further configured to turn on ones of the plurality of burners that are thermally coupleable to ones of the plurality of thermionic energy converters before turning on ones of the plurality of burners that are not thermally coupleable to ones of the plurality of thermionic energy converters.   
     
     
         90 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 84 , wherein:
 the at least one burner includes a plurality of burners and the at least one thermionic energy converter includes a plurality of thermionic energy converters; and   the controller is further configured to turn off ones of the plurality of burners that are not thermally coupleable to ones of the plurality of thermionic energy converters before turning off ones of the plurality of burners that are thermally coupleable to ones of the plurality of thermionic energy converters.   
     
     
         91 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 85 , wherein the at least one thermionic energy converter is operable at a power point that differs from a maximum power/efficiency point on a current-voltage profile of the at least one thermionic energy converter. 
     
     
         92 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 91 , wherein the at least one thermionic energy converter is operable at a power point that differs from a maximum power/efficiency point on a current-voltage profile of the at least one thermionic energy converter responsive to the controller. 
     
     
         93 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 92 , further comprising:
 power electronics configured to perform at least one function chosen from boosting DC voltage and inverting DC electrical power to AC electrical power.   
     
     
         94 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 93 , wherein the power electronics is disposed in thermal communication with at least one fluid chosen from inlet air to the at least one burner and inlet fuel to the at least one burner. 
     
     
         95 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 54 , further comprising:
 a recuperator configured to pre-heat at least one fluid chosen from inlet air to the at least one burner and inlet fuel to the at least one burner with exhaust gas from the at least one burner.   
     
     
         96 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the combined heat and power device is configured to be electrically couplable to an electrical bus transfer switch. 
     
     
         97 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 54 , further comprising:
 a resistive heating element electrically connectable to the at least one thermionic energy converter.   
     
     
         98 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the fluid motivator assembly includes a blower assembly and the prime mover includes a blower motor. 
     
     
         99 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 54 , wherein the fluid motivator assembly includes a water circulator pump and the prime mover includes a pump motor. 
     
     
         100 . A combined heat and power device comprising:
 a heating system including:   at least one burner;   at least one igniter configured to ignite the at least one burner;   a fluid motivator assembly including an electrically powered prime mover; and   a heat exchanger fluidly couplable to the fluid motivator assembly;   at least one thermionic energy converter having a hot shell and a cold shell, the hot shell being thermally couplable to the at least one burner, the cold shell being thermally couplable to the heat exchanger; and   an electrical battery electrically connectable to the at least one igniter and the prime mover.   
     
     
         101 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 100 , further comprising:
 a battery connection controller configured to electrically connect the electrical battery to the at least one igniter and the prime mover.   
     
     
         102 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 101 , wherein the battery connection controller is further configured to electrically connect the electrical battery to the at least one igniter and the prime mover automatically responsive to loss of electrical power from an electrical power grid. 
     
     
         103 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 101 , wherein the battery connection controller is further configured to electrically connect the electrical battery to the at least one igniter and the prime mover manually responsive to actuation by a user. 
     
     
         104 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 101 , wherein the battery connection controller is further configured to electrically connect the electrical battery to the at least one thermionic energy converter to charge the electrical battery. 
     
     
         105 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 100 , wherein the fluid motivator assembly includes a blower assembly and the prime mover includes a blower motor. 
     
     
         106 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 100 , wherein the fluid motivator assembly includes a water circulator pump and the prime mover includes a pump motor. 
     
     
         107 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 100 , wherein the heat exchanger is configurable to direct fluid disposed therein to at least one destination chosen from an interior environment of a building, ambient environment exterior a building, and a thermal storage reservoir. 
     
     
         108 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 107 , wherein the thermal storage reservoir includes a water tank. 
     
     
         109 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 100 , wherein the at least one thermionic energy converter has an electrical power output of no more than 50 KWe. 
     
     
         110 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 100 , wherein the at least one thermionic energy converter has an electrical power output of no more than 5 KWe. 
     
     
         111 . A combined heat and power device comprising:
 a heating system including:   at least one burner;   at least one igniter configured to ignite the at least one burner;   a fluid motivator assembly including an electrically powered prime mover; and   a heat exchanger fluidly couplable to the fluid motivator assembly;   at least one thermionic energy converter having a hot shell and a cold shell, the hot shell being thermally couplable to the at least one burner, the cold shell being thermally couplable to the heat exchanger, the thermionic energy converter being electrically couplable to the prime mover.   
     
     
         112 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 111 , further comprising:
 a DC-AC inverter.   
     
     
         113 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 112 , wherein the prime mover includes an AC motor, the prime mover being electrically coupled to receive AC electrical power from the DC-AC inverter. 
     
     
         114 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 111 , further comprising:
 a DC-DC boost converter.   
     
     
         115 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 114 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to control at least one component chosen from the at least one burner, the at least one thermionic energy converter, and the prime mover, the controller being electrically coupled to receive DC electrical power from the DC-DC boost converter.   
     
     
         116 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 111 , wherein electrical power output of the at least one thermionic energy converter is at least 100 W. 
     
     
         117 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 111 , further comprising:
 an electrical battery.   
     
     
         118 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 117 , further comprising:
 a battery connection controller configured to electrically connect the electrical battery to the at least one igniter and the prime mover.   
     
     
         119 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 118 , wherein the battery connection controller is further configured to electrically connect the electrical battery to the at least one at least one thermionic energy converter to charge the electrical battery. 
     
     
         120 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 111 , wherein the fluid motivator assembly includes a blower assembly and the prime mover includes a blower motor. 
     
     
         121 . The combined heat and power device of  claim 111 , wherein the fluid motivator assembly includes a water circulator pump and the prime mover includes a pump motor.